Seven Legendary Swords Lore
The tale of the Legendary swords shifts us far back to a time where Sakai’s followers spread their presence far and wide; the time of the first Samurai. Conquering wherever they went and ready to sacrifice their lives for their master, the Samurai’s progress pleased their master. Thus, before his death, Sakai gave out one final order to the remainder of his army. He had ordered his troops to find the best blacksmiths in the land and recruit them under the Samurai, for his troops would carry out his legacy with the finest swords and progress in his name. Years passed, but none seemed to fill the shoes that Sakai had envisioned. However, after twenty long years of searching, the Samurai came back with an old man by the last name of Kai, whose small but strong frame was hardened by the years of shaping and inventing the most excellent tools in the Land of Snow. Beside the grey-haired man stood his sole son, shaking and quivering in fear before the first right-hand man of the great Sakai, the First General of the Samurai, Gin Urahara. The Kai bloodline was ordered to work under the generals of the Samurai army as blacksmiths forever, creating magnificent unique weapons for many generals to follow and honouring their ascension in rank even after Sakai’s fall. The curse lasted seven long generations. Before his promotion, Gin was known as a man who grew up on the icy shores of Snow Country. Alone, surrounded by snowy tundra, he spent his youth hunting with his trusty harpoon and hardening his body, only to one day greet the legend that changed his destiny; the great Kenjutsu master and leader of the Samurai, Sakai. Embarking on the leader’s ship, Gin devoted twenty long years under Sakai and ultimately come to be his right-handed man. To commemorate his promotion, the Kai family was tasked with making the first sword fit for a General. Modelled by his past, Nuibari was born, the Needle Blade. Together with it, Gin made his last stand with Sakai as the fight with his twin brother raged on. He fell among many others, but not before ordering a handful of his most trusty men to fall back. After the battle had died down, Gin was buried alongside his troops and with the legendary Nuibari blade. Gin’s successor was none other than the man that had preserved the remaining forces of the Samurai, a bulky man of gigantic stature. A man who was renowned as a humongous ferocious beast amongst swordsmen. His name was Sajin and uring his time within the Samurai, he had earned several nicknames. Sajin the Immovable, Sajin the Great and many others, but none stuck longer than Sajin the Mountain. Raised among the Kai family in his youth, many referred to him as Sajin Kai, even though his fate was not bound in the chains that were cast upon the blacksmith family. At a young age, Sajin obtained the honour of becoming the youngest Samurai within the army, as his physical capabilities far exceeded those of his peers. Through the years that followed, the Mountain only grew, as did his fame within the ranks. Stories speak of Sajin fearlessly taking on several enemies, as his massive frame stormed through their ranks, and nothing could stop the Mountain once he arrested his eyes on it. During his leadership, the Samurai slowly rebuilt from the calamity that had struck their army many years ago. To honour his rise to General, the Kai family developed a hammer by the name of Kabuto and an axe by the name of Wari, commemorating the days he spent along with the blacksmiths. Collectively, the weapons could penetrate and break any defence standing in the way of the Samurai. Sajin lived sixty long years until finally, time caught up with the Mountain of a man. Buried with the Kabuto-Wari, he is the only General with the Kai insignia carved into his tombstone. The mantle of General graced yet another generation. Known for spreading the Samurai influence and broadening the teachings of Bushido, it fell upon an elder by the name of Masamune. Before his ceremony, the Kai family was informed of Masamune’s wish to further spread the art of Bushido. However, these teachings were unwelcomed by some of the locals and were furthermore met with resistance. To assist him in pushing back the attackers, the legendary sword Shibuki was formed. The stalemate on the battlefield had finally come to an end, as Masamune arrived at the shores of Earth Country together with reinforcements and the legendary weapon in his hand. Implementing the use of paper bombs, Shibuki allowed the Samurai to push inland and continue towards the dream Masamune envisioned. During this journey, his forces were stopped halfway in front of a grand city. Clad in ordinary leathers and covered in tribal markings, the people ahead seem to only have numbers on the Samurai. Suddenly engulfing them from multiple sides, Masamune had realized that the had been lured. Ordering his men to prepare for battle, they were to desecrate half of the incoming forces before leaving, but as a result, the elderly Masamune fell to his feet. His comrades would not die in vain, as the tags of Shibuki suddenly sparked ablaze. In a final hope to avenge his fallen troops, Masamune blew himself up, taking the remainder of the enemy forces with him. The Shibuki blade had been lost to the ages ever since. The fourth Samurai to adopt the position of General was named Masashi, the Demon of the Samurai. Many recognized him for his bloodthirst, as rushed into battle without remorse, welcoming the death that was never given to him. By this time, the original Kai’s time had long ended, and the predecessor’s pledge fell onto the grandchild’s shoulders. His name was Kiyochika. Spending his youth with the Samurai, he once feared like his father, Kiyochika’s fear turned into respect, hardened by the countless years with the capable and courageous swordsmen. Seven days and seven nights, Kiyochika smithed the blade worthy for Masashi’s ceremony. During his promotion, the General was provided with a giant sword with a butcher-knife-like appearance, a semi-circle at the beginning of the blade. It was christened Kubikiribocho, also known as Executioner’s Blade, as the semi-circle of the sword could be used for decapitating one’s enemies. This was not the sole feature of the magnificent blade however, as the blade’s thirst for blood matched its wielder. Consuming blood, the blade was capable of using the iron from within and regenerate its broken pieces, giving a clean and new look after each fight. Masashi lead the Samurai into a modern era of war, as his urge for conquest was never-ending. Obsessed with the legacy Master Sakai once bestowed upon them, Masashi wanted to achieve what others could not - return the Samurai to their former glory as rulers, and attain the level of skill and respect their master formerly had. On this twenty-year-old conquest, the General met his demise at the hands of his troops. Violating the vows of Bushido, Masashi was challenged to a duel by his Lieutenant Yasuke. Wielding a bandaged double-handled sword, Yasuke cut down his General, returning honour to the army. The Demon General was later buried with the Kubikiribocho in the Land of Iron. Once a Lieutenant and now a General of the Samurai, many saw Yasuke as a saviour, which lead the Samurai to a pure and honourable destiny. Wielding a blade the Kai family had entrusted him with in secrecy, Yasuke was the first Samurai warrior to wield a legendary weapon before his ascension in rank. The blade was known as Hiramekarei. Unique in design and ability, the sword was capable of storing and emitting the user's chakra which could subsequently take on various forms, therefore giving Hiramekarei the nickname of “Shapeshifter’s Blade." Along the unique blade, the tale of Yasuke and his achievements with the Samurai spread far and wide. His leadership allowed for the Samurai to further develop their Kenjutsu art, finding new ways to enhance the teachings passed onto them by Master Sakai. Yasuke met his demise forty years after his promotion, during a counter-offensive siege on the Samurai stronghold in Iron Country, successfully forcing the invaders back from where they came from. Yasuke’s body was later buried along the other Generals. However, the Hiramekarei blade found its way into the hands of the invaders, its whereabouts smudged through time. The successor of Yasuke and the man that chased down the assailants of their land was none other then Yon. Known for his superior seafaring strategies and years spent in the Samurai navy, Yon claimed the title of Yon the Shark, as his fleet trampled all in their sight. To commemorate his ascension to General, the Kai family forged a blade that reflected the might and ferociousness of the sea. Samehada, a sentient weapon with an everlasting hunger for chakra. In conjunction, the General and his blade secured many more victories, all until his demise during a siege of Water Country, where Yon’s arrogance got the better of him. Flanked by two ships, he had ordered his men to retreat while he made a last stand. With each swing, Samehada consumed the chakra of his enemy and grow bigger and sharper. Finally, after hours of constant fighting, Yon the Shark had succeeded completely decimating the enemy at the cost of his life. Subsequently, his body was retrieved by his comrades, however, Samehada was nowhere to be found. Buried in the land of Iron with a replica of his blade, Yon the Shark acquired his long-awaited rest. The final blade that graced the hands of a General is solely identified through tales. General Shou was renowned for his strategy and during his time as a strategist, many battles were won under the Samurai banner with minor losses to the army, bringing great pride. To commemorate his coronation, the blades of Thunder and Lightning, the twin Kiba blades were forged. Identical in design, they were known as brother blades whose true power is shown simultaneously. Taking up the blade allowed for streaks of lightning to begin dancing across its surface. Filled with disgust that the Kai had brought Ninjutsu before a General, let alone in the presence of the Samurai, Shou ordered for the blacksmith linage to be cut down. This was the last time the Kiba blades were wielded by a General, thought to have been destroyed and never seen since the ceremony. Legend has it that the Kai family was struck down where they stood. Some, however, believe that the family’s ancestry still lives on in hiding. Shou fell decades later at the hands of a Yuki royal during a duel. His body was brought back and buried with the trusty katana that has been with him ever since he took up the mantle of a Samurai.